The Perils of Populism, Racism, and Sexism: The Trump Lesson Plan for African Americans and Women

Abstract

“We believe that unless representative government does absolutely represent the people, it is not representative government at all.” These words were spoken by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 as he embarked upon securing the nomination for President. He set in motion a brand of frenzied populism that was echoed in 2016 by Donald J. Trump, including racist tenets. The indifference shown to women of color and African Americans is part and parcel of the Trump lesson plan as he preyed on the anxieties of his base to make anyone who disagreed with him enemies of the American people. Through populism, indifference and the politics of insecurity, Donald Trump mobilized his base to undermine the political and socioeconomic voices of African Americans and women of color. This paper examines Trump’s approach to using populist rhetoric and language to create a frenzy with his base and backlash against those who opposed, enemies both real and imagined. Although the research provides a historical perspective on populism from the Know Nothings to Teddy Roosevelt and George Wallace, the argument here is that Donald Trump pulled from the same populist playbook, but his narcissism, arrogance, and inability to accept critique created dissension within the Republican and Democratic Parties and the nation. The lasting impact of the Trump brand of populism and indifference is a race, gender, and class divide that may take years to close.